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Dean Rival Gains Strength in Bid for Chairman

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 - In a sign of resistance to Howard Dean's bid to lead the Democratic Party, the executive board of the Association of State Democratic Chairs recommended on Sunday that the association endorse one of Dr. Dean's rivals, Donnie Fowler Jr. of South Carolina.

The recommendation, to be voted on by the entire association on Monday, reflected turmoil among Democrats as Dr. Dean seeks to portray his election on Feb. 12 by the Democratic National Committee as inevitable, and his opponents move to rally around a candidate to block him.

The executive committee recommendation is not binding, and some Democrats held open the possibility that the association would reject it. Mr. Fowler drew eight votes, to six for Dr. Dean, who was the perceived front-runner among the Democratic candidates for president until his defeat by Senator John Kerry in the Iowa caucuses.

The association had sought to keep all its members from making an endorsement in hope of arriving at a consensus. But Dr. Dean picked off some influential chairmen -- in particular, Scott Maddox of Florida -- in a move that added momentum to his bid but stirred resentment among some state party leaders.

Dr. Dean's allies played down the significance of the vote, suggesting it was a gesture of respect for Mr. Fowler's father, Donald Fowler, a former Democratic chairman. One of his associates said Dr. Dean would rather face Donnie Fowler than Martin Frost, the former representative from Texas and a former head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who Democrats said emerged this weekend as the third of the top three candidates.

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A spokesman for Mr. Fowler, Kirsten Powers, said: "The vote sends a message today that the party wants change. It's a two-person race."

Other Democrats disputed the idea that this had become a two-way race. Mr. Frost is still viewed as a strong candidate, and Democrats said they were waiting to see if any labor unions, which could make endorsements this week, turn to him.

That said, the contest does seem on the verge of becoming a three-way race. Several Democrats said that with Democrats now being pressed to make endorsements, the size of the field could shrink fast, and force some out of the race.

Several Democrats familiar with the balloting on Sunday said that in the first vote, Dr. Dean drew six, compared with five for Mr. Fowler and three for Mr. Frost. The shift in the final ballot suggested a coalescing of an anti-Dean vote, and the risks he faces should his opponents coalesce around another candidate.

So far, Dr. Dean has benefited from being the best-known candidate in a crowded field. That has had the effect of dividing any anti-Dean vote.

But when the formal election is held by the Democratic National Committee in Washington in two weeks, the committee will keep voting until a candidate gets more than 50 percent, eliminating one candidate with each ballot. That could put Dr. Dean in a one-on-one contest by the end of the balloting.